KICKING COWS. 2f3 



Jumping over Fences. 



Every dairyman Knows that a cow or ox will not attempt to 

 jump a fence, pull it down, or run, while a board is over the forehead, 

 attached to the horns in front of the eyes ; this simple means will 

 usually work well upon cattle, but will not do upon a horse, because 

 it {jives too much freedom to see over the nose. 



If a horse or mule, put on a halter that fits well to the head — 

 a five-ring halter is best. Next, find a piece of fine leather (an old 

 boot-leg will do), about as long as the head, and from four to five 

 inches wider than the head is at the eyes. Attach a string at each 

 corner. Attach the upper corners by the strings to the halter, where 

 the brow'-piece is attached to the cheek-piece. Tie the cords at- 

 tached to the lower corners back of the jaw, being careful to leave 

 freedom enough for thejaws to act when eating. Let the ends now 

 pass over the throat-latch, and make fast.' The horse is simply dis- 

 abled from looking ahead or over the nose, which will disconcert 

 him sufficiently to prevent jumping or throwing the fence down. 

 If an ox or cow, attach the upper corners to the horns, and pass 

 the strings around the neck instead of over the throat-latch. 



Tender-Bitted. 



Use a large, smooth mouth-piece, with leather cheek-pieces, so 

 as to let the bit rest about an inch lower than usual in the mouth. 

 Next, try winding the bit with a piece of chamois-skin which has 

 been saturated with tannin or alum, to harden the mouth. 



« Kicking Cows. ( . 



Many years ago a man who attended my class in Herkimer Co., 

 N. Y., reported to me that he had a very bad kicking heifer, and as 

 a matter of experiment, he put the War Bridle on her and gave her 

 a sharp lesson with it, as directed for breaking a colt to lead and 

 dHve. After a few' minutes' treatment, he found that she stood per- 

 fectly gentle to be milked, and he had no more trouble with her. 

 Some time afterward, while in the dairy counties, I gave this point 

 to my classes, and Thave since had a good many especially bad 

 kicking cows brought forward to be experimented upon, the treat- 

 ment in all cases proving successful in a few minutes. 



One of the most amusing incidents that occurred .in making 

 these experiments was at a little town near Jamestown, N. Y. At 

 the time I carried canvas, and after getting through the regular ex- 

 periments, a notoriously bad kicking cow was brought in for treat- 

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